The object of meditation and the mind which knows it must be noted as they occur. If they are not noted, desire arises and disturbs concentration.

The true purpose of Zen is to see things as they are, to observe things as they are, and to let everything go as it goes.

If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely, you will have complete peace.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

When we rest in awareness, we discover a peace that is always present, regardless of circumstances.

Change is the nature of every phenomenon. Accept this truth and you will live a happy life.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

Don't be a bodhisatta; don't be an arahant; don't be anything at all. Being something makes you suffer.

The path to liberation requires both individual effort and the support of the spiritual community.

Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back, and reasons to stay.

A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.

True freedom is a freedom from the tyranny of our own thoughts and afflictive emotions.

The things that matter most in our lives are not fantastic or grand. They are the moments when we touch one another.

The Noble Eightfold Path is a path of training: training in ethical conduct, training in mental discipline, and training in wisdom.

The movement of love is what creates the beauty in our lives.

Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes.

Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.

Meditation is the road to happiness.

The zazen I speak of is not meditation practice. It is simply the dharma gate of joyful ease.

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can't simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment.

Wherever you are, you are one with the clouds and one with the sun and the stars you see. You are one with everything. That is more true than I can say, and more true than you can hear.

Meditation is not an escape from life but a way to fully engage with life.

Feelings like disappointment, embarrassment, irritation, resentment, anger, jealousy, and fear, instead of being bad news, are actually very clear moments that teach us where it is that we're holding back.

Compassion is a verb.

Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I would like to see you living in better conditions.

My religion is to live and die without regret.

Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

The art of living... is neither careless drifting on the one hand nor fearful clinging to the past on the other. It consists in being sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.

The only way to fail at meditation is to stop doing it.

Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.

The practice of Zen mind is beginner's mind. In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities; in the expert's mind there are few.

The greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.